ISLAMABAD – Taliban militants collaborated with Islamic State commanders in a brazen attack on Saturday that killed more than 50 civilians and Afghan police officers in northern Afghanistan, local officials reported.

This new cooperation between the two brutal terrorist groups – which are usually adversaries and have fought turf battles in the past – could create serious trouble for the already struggling U.S-backed Kabul government.

Several local residents confirmed that some 600 insurgents, both Taliban and ISIS fighters, had overrun Mirza Olang village in the northern province of Sar-i-Pul.

Sharif Aminyar, the district governor of Sayad, said 50 people were killed, including women, children and 18 local Afghan police officers. Most of those killed were members of the ethnic Shia Hazara community.

“It was joint operation from ISIS and Taliban,” Aminyar said. “The Taliban were led by Mullah Nader and [ISIS] was headed by Sher Mohammed Ghazanfar.”

Many militants were foreigners speaking Uzbek, Turkmen and Punjabi, a language widely spoken in Pakistan, one of the villagers told Fox News.

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This new cooperation between the two brutal terrorist groups – which are usually adversaries and have fought turf battles in the past – could create serious trouble for the already struggling U.S-backed Kabul government.

(AP)

The Taliban has denied cooperating with ISIS and said it was an effort to…